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My 4-Wheeler Eats Starter Solenoids

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  shadetree 
#1 ·
New user; long-time mechanic and tinkerer. Have a persistent problem I'm looking for some insight on.

We've got a Honda 4-wheeler (can't remember year/model, but it's mechanical shift from around 2000). TRX-350 I think. It eats starter solenoids, and I'm wondering if I've got an underlying problem.

Last summer, it quit starting electrically (original solenoid quit working). Went online and found that the Honda part was somewhere between $40 and $70, could buy a knock-off for less than $10, figured "it's just a solenoid," so bought one to try. Worked fine out of the box, but within a half-hour's riding, it got locked in. The starter began cranking while the engine was running. A couple of times I got it to stop by smacking or jerking around on the solenoid, but mostly you had to remove one of the cables (not the control/signal wire) from the solenoid to get it to stop cranking. We have repeated this process two more times (three apparently junk solenoids).

Here's my question: is it really possible that these knock-off solenoids have that high a rate of always-on failure, or is there some other electrical problem with my 4-wheeler that could be causing this? I'd hate to drop $50+ on an OEM solenoid only to have it happen again.

Thanks.
 
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#5 ·
I have purchased one brand new that didnt work right out of the box. My brother did the same at one point and a few of my friends have aswell. When i got the replacement it still didnt work right. Took me 4 to get one that worked "OK". Got an oem one and has been on for 2 years now. I use the china one to test when i have someone bring a quad over that wont start. I more or less use it like a tool and not actual use lol
 
#7 ·
for my own atvs ?, I use oem, for flippers I fix and sell ?, I will buy after market, it's up to the new owner to do as they please.
 
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